Effect of calcination temperature on the catalytic performance of CuMgAl catalysts for furfural gas phase selective hydrogenation to furfuryl alcohol

The CuMgAl hydrotalcite-type precursors were prepared by fractional precipitation process with the mass ratio of m(CuO):m(MgO):m(Al₂O₃)=25:26:49. CuMgAl-t catalysts were calcined at various temperatures. CuMgAl-t catalysts were characterized by BET, TGA, XRD and H₂-TPR and CO₂-TPD. The catalytic performance of CuMgAl-t catalysts for the gas phase hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol was investigated in a fixed bed reactor. The results showed that the calcination temperatures had effect on catalysts activity, stability and product selectivity. The lower temperature calcined catalysts with reduction can obtain more active center and the higher temperature calcined catalysts had more alkaline sites on the surface of catalysts. CuMgAl catalyst calcined at 450℃ had suitable surface active centers and alkaline sites. Under the reaction conditions of atmospheric pressure, reaction temperature of 180℃, molar ratio of hydrogen to furfural of 5 and volume space velocity of 0.3 h^-1, the furfural conversion of 98.64% and furfuryl alcohol selectivity of 97.66% were reached over the CuMgAl-450.